Little Beauty Tricks

Today’s beauty tricks deal with makeup. We all love to wear it, whether it’s subtle or quite heavy, we all wear makeup. I on the other hand, actually never wore that much make up until my sister introduced me to this wonderful world. I wear makeup: A) To just feel good about myself, B) Because it’s fun, C) Because I am a girl and I can, D) The list could go on and on and on…

In this article, I would like to highlight a few beauty tricks that will leave you looking and feeling fabulous!

Trick No. 1: Wear the right shade of foundation, powder and/or concealor. On many occasions, you’ll find a lady wearing makeup that is much lighter than her complexion. That is a no-go zone. A lot of cosmetic companies have different shades that suite any/all skin tones so there is no excuse. One trick I use: I take a picture of myself to see if the makeup I am wearing suites my skin tone. If I look ashy or flashed, that is definitely a no go zone. So get the right tone and stop looking flashed or ashy in your pictures.

Trick No. 2: When buying foundation, powder or concealor, do not test it on the back of your hand. If you’re like me, your hand is probably much lighter than your face or vice versa. You shall end up with a lighter tone and then we’re back to square one – the ashy or flashed face. Just test it on your face! You can wipe it off later.

Trick No. 3: Do not use dirty sponges or brushes to apply makeup. These carry bacteria. We all fall victim to this but wash or change your sponge regularly in order to avoid a buildup of bacteria on your skin. These in turn cause blemishes and/or pimples. This brings me to point no. 4.

Trick No.4: Stop sharing or “begging” for people’s powder. Nothing is more disturbing than this. Of course, if you’re siblings or really good friends AND OF THE SAME TONE, that is fine. But stop asking random girls in the bathroom for their makeup. You are probably not the same tone and how sure are you or is she that you are clean? And this takes me to point no. 5.

Trick No. 5: Use a brush to apply powder and/or foundation. First of all, there are different brushes for all sorts of makeup. So ask for the right brush. A brush is cleaner than a sponge and let’s your pores breathe when you use it to apply powder. It also lets your powder breathe (if you are using a compact powder) so your powder doesn’t get those hard lumps over time. In my opinion however, this brush makes my powder get done faster so I stick to the sponge. I also use my hands to apply my foundation and concealor. This is ok if you know how to, and keep clean.

Trick No. 6: Wash your hands before applying makeup, and after. Period.

Trick No. 7: Cleanse, tone and moisturize your skin for more natural looking  make up. And of course, for better skin.

Trick No. 8: Do not sleep with makeup on. Try your hardest not to do this for so many plain and simple reasons. However, the most important reason that I go by: the makeup you sleep with damages the skin cells on your face and may make you appear OLDER! This is especially true if you wear foundation. It is ok and normal to forget every now and then but not all the time.

Trick No. 9: Last but not least, the eyebrows! I am a victim of this but I am too “afraid” (for lack of a better word) to grow my eyebrows. In my opinion, we commit so many eyebrow felonies; it’s the most misused and worst done area on our face. Shaping your eyebrows should be done to subtly draw attention to your eyes and the rest of your face. Now this business of just having a little line drawn; or having a brown or different color eyebrow (yet your hair is jet black); or having your eyebrow extend until it touches the corner of your eye; ... has got to stop. When shaping your eyebrows, ask the person doing it to just shape them. Please leave hair on them. Do not completely remove them! I know people with naturally thin or close-to-hairless eyebrows: you can still shape these and then PROPERLY fill them in with either one of these: brow pencil, brow powder, brow gel or brow pens. Always add color subtly and keep adding if need be. Please, get a color that is the same as your hair color.

Start your work week looking and feeling amazing! 

Perfectly sized and well shaped eyebrows

International Women's Day

Happy Women’s day girls, I sure do hope you are enjoying the holiday! You are probably at home watching movies, out with friends or still in bed and I thought we should all know what the backdrop for 8^th March as International Women’s day is. Basically what is the history, why do we celebrate women, why 8^th March and not 3^rd August (my birthday J)?

HISTORY

In the years before 1910, women in industrially developing countries were entering paid work in large numbers. There was a challenge of sex segregation especially in the types of jobs they were given; textiles, manufacturing and domestic services where conditions were pitiful and wages extremely low. At this time trade unions were developing and there were industrial disputes and in Europe revolutions were getting started.

The many changes in the women’s lives pressed against political limitations and they began to fight for the right to vote. all over Europe, Britain, America, and Australia women from all classes were involved in pushing for the right to vote. In 1903 in United States women trade unionists set up Women’s Trade Union League to help organize women in paid work around their political and economic welfare.

In 1908 on the last Sunday in February, socialist women in the USA started the first Women’s Day when they organized large demonstrations calling for political and economic rights of women. In this year, women garment workers in New York held a strike in a bid for better working conditions.

In 1909 on 28^th February the socialists party in the USA honored the women garment workers that had gone on strike. This gathering was attended by more than 2000 men and women.

In 1910 The Socialist International meeting in Copenhagen set aside a day International in character to honor the movement for women’s rights and to build support for this plight of women.

In 1911 as a result of the Copenhagen meeting Women’s day was set for 19^th March for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. More than 1 million men and women attended these rallies.

In 1913-1914, International Women's Day also became a tool to protest the war World War I. As part of the peace movement, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February. Elsewhere in Europe, around 8 March of the next year, women held gatherings either to protest the war or to express oneness with other activists.

In 1917 with the back drop of the war Women in Russia again chose to protest and strike for 'Bread and Peace' on the last Sunday in February (which fell on 8 March on the Gregorian calendar). Four days after, the Czar abdicated and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote.

Since 1913 the International Women’s day has been celebrated on 8^th March and has been described by the UN as the day women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions whether, national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural or economic. It’s an occasion to look back on past struggles and accomplishments and more importantly to look ahead at untapped opportunities that await future generations of women.

My Message for Women’s Day 2013

As women we should take this opportunity to reflect on the rights these women several years ago fought for and campaigned for. They fought for the right to vote, the right to equal treatment, for education, better working conditions, and for equal opportunities.

 I admit in many parts of the world there is still a long way to go before women can fully enjoy their rights. But for most of us we have been given the opportunity to go to school, to work at the same level as men, to vote, to take seats in Parliament, to lead companies, to ACHIEVE and mostly to make a POSITIVE IMPACT on the world!

Grab a notebook and a pen and write down how you are going to make a change, set yourself goals and have a vision of what the world will be after achieving these goals.

C’mon girls let’s not pity ourselves and beat about the bush but let’s make the women of the 1900s proud! LET US GO OUT AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!!!

That’s all for now. Happy Women’s Day!!

Clarissa

x.o

Please comment and share with us your Women’s day message or how you plan to make a difference. I for example plan, to start a program to educate parents and teachers on Addictive Drugs, their effects, symptoms and all that stuff. There is nothing like that here in Uganda (that I know of) and I think it’s important.

The Perks of Being a Woman

In light of International Women’s Day on Friday, 8^th March this year, I will be highlighting why I love being a woman. There are tons and tons of perks of being a woman. Here’s my list. What would be on yours?

A) I get to bear children. I get to house my unborn child for 9 months (or so) and then excruciatingly give birth to this child.

B) We get to balance it all – work, family, friends and all the other hulla ballu that comes with life.

C) I get to wear what I want: dresses, skirts, turbans, hijjabs, pants, blouses, heck even petty coats, and the list goes on forever.

D) I love being a woman in 2013 because turbans are trending. I get to wear my turban out of the house, come back home and sleep.

E) I have boobies.

F) I run the world. Even Beyonce agrees with me.

G) I get to have sleepovers with my girlfriends where we talk for hours and hours about the same thing but in different ways.

Sleepover scene from Grease

H) I get to wear accessories.

I) I get to wear nail polish of all colors and patterns.

J) I can get away with a lot of stuff if I play my cards right.

K) I am allowed to be a b*@$^ once a month just because of our biological make up.

L) I complain about having nothing to wear whilst staring at a closet full of stuff.

Source

M) I look bad a*$ in heels.

…

I could go on and on… We would like to know why you love being a woman. #WhyILoveBeingAWoman @4girlsforgirls

Bra Fitting: Signs of an Ill Fitting Bra

 Did you know that 80% of women wear an ill sized bra?!! YES true story, and it's not a marketing gimmick :) SO why then are 8 out of 10 women wearing the wrong bra? Beats me! I do know however, that personally I thought my bras fitted just perfect till Now (well till a few days ago). I gathered some tips on how to tell whether your bra fits right.

1. If your breasts are spilling over creating 4 small breasts, then your bra is too small! Experts advise trying on a T-shirt to make sure you are clear of the 4 boobs. Furthermore, if your breasts bunch up into one big boob, then your breasts are extra big for that bra!!

2. If the Centre panel/gore at the front doesn't rest on your skin and is resting mid air, it indicates that your breasts are too big. In such a case the bra rests on your breast tissue instead of the rib cage.

Another sign that the bra is too small is if the wire (assuming the bra has a wire), rests on your breast tissue instead of snugly tucked underneath the breasts.





(source)

3. If there is a space between the edge of the bra cups and the breasts then your breasts are petite and you need to move down a size. The entire breast should fit snugly in the cup of the bra otherwise....armpit boob!..that little bit of extra breast tissue that peeps out the side of the bra next to the armpit.

(source)

4. Back Fat! When wearing a little bra ( I mean one that doesn't fit) it sometimes digs into the back accentuating what people call back fat! The size of the band matters a great deal; large bands don't stay in the right place on your back.

5.Straps that dig into your skin or fall over your shoulders. The straps that dig into the skin are an indication that the band is too big since the straps are too tight trying to lift the breasts up. Bra straps only do 10% of the work and the band 90%.  If the straps keep falling off then the bra is small and thus keeps riding up.

6. The band is riding up or is too low. This indicates that the bra is not giving firm support to breasts; the band of a new bra should be sitting right across the back on the loosest hook. It should be STRAIGHT! You need to up a size untill the band is fitting straight across.

(source)

Next time you go bra shopping look out for the following!



(source)

I hope this helps with your next bra shopping venture! Till next time :) :)

Miss Kelendria Rowland. Can I get a Va Va Voom?

If you have been watching or following this year's awards' season (which is unfortunately coming to an end), you've probably seen Kelly Rowland's outstanding fashion statements. Very simple, chic, and only she could pull them off. Can I get an Amen?

This post is dedicated to her timeless beauty and her amazing fashion inspiration this year (please note, it’s only March 1^st).  

Ms. Kelly Rowland at this year's Grammys - the red carpet

Ms. Kelly Rowland at this year's Academy Awards - the red carpet

The ever-so-lovely-hunkydory Boris Kodjoe and Ms. Kelly Rowland at this year's Rip the Runway - the red carpet Source